Jharkhand police has dropped the murder charge against 11 accused in the death of 22-year-old Tabrez Ansari  who was attacked by a mob and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on June 18 in Seraikela Kharsawan.

The police has cited the final post mortem report of Ansari which said that he died of a “cardiac arrest” hence the murder charge under IPC section 302 was dropped against the accused. Stating that Ansari’s case was not that of a pre-meditated murder, police has filed the chargesheet under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

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According to Indian Express, Karthik S, Saraikela-Kharsawan SP, said, “We filed a chargesheet under IPC section 304 because of two reasons. One, he did not die at the spot… the villagers did not have any intent to kill Ansari. Second, the medical report did not substantiate the murder charge. The final post-mortem report said Ansari died due to cardiac arrest and that a haemorrhage in the head was not fatal. The second medical opinion said the cause of death was a combination of cardiac arrest and the head injury.”

A video that surfaced online showed Ansari tied to a pole and beaten by a mob for hours. The mob accused him of theft and assaulted him and allegedly forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram and “Jai Hanuman”. After the assault, Ansari was arrested on charges of theft and sent to judicial custody. Four days later, Ansari was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.